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Stage 11 - Lake Balaton - Hungary - 11th to 12th October
I awoke at Kranjska to blazing sun with not a cloud in the sky, it was so tempting to stay, the Alpine skyline was at its best, but I’d already decided to leave and head to Lake Balaton. 4.5 hours drive, but soon I was leaving those Alpine vistas behind, although on the approach there was some variation and more appealing landscapes, but mainly in Slovenia.
Arriving on the shores of the Lake, I stopped to conduct some local research; which part of the lake is nicest and where are the campsites? Whilst doing so, I noticed a pair of Bearded Reedlings feeding quite confidently, despite my presence, on the mudflats. See photos, very nice, first time I think, I’ve seen them.
It turned out I had another hour to drive towards the eastern end of the lake, but even still struggled to find a place to pitch my tent. The sites were closed, out of season, but they were more like holiday camps anyway. For a short time I struggled, also, I wasn’t impressed with the general environment. However on checking AirBnB I found a hotel in one of the recommended villages, Tihany. Sited on a historically protected peninsula. The hotel was nice, all oldie worldly and thatched roofs, and next to a nature reserve.
(For ref: £51 plus €6 for parking!)
In the evening after photographing a Syrian Woodpecker, I went in search of an eaterie. In the dark, the village looked nice, and planned to revisit the following morning. I requested an Hungarian dish, and was presented with beef cheek, in red wine sauce and potato dumplings! Very nice!
With no expectation on a planned bike circuit, after my first impressions yesterday, I was really pleasantly surprised. I did visit the village first, which was nice, with elevated views over the lake, and prime position given to the Benedictine Abbey. The lakeside dedicated path was a little monotonous, but once I climbed up into the hinterland it was very nice, with pleasant villages, quiet lanes, vineyards, forest trails and deer! A real mix.
Within an hour of arriving back at the hotel, I was heading almost due north, as planned, to visit a pal in Vienna….noticing how rural that part of Hungary is, through miles and miles of arable land.
But in less than three hours all that was forgotten, as I negotiated the crazy freeways at rush hour heading into Vienna.
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